Harper observes Operation Nanook exercise in Hudson Bay

CHURCHILL, Man. — An eco-tourism boat carrying suspected illegal immigrants who pose a danger to Canadians was the focus Friday of the military’s summer operation in Hudson Bay.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper observed the exercise from the so-called “vessel of interest.”

The scenario was also of particular interest to a Conservative government that’s been preoccupied with the issue of human smuggling since boatloads of migrants arrived off the shores of British Columbia in 2010.

It recently passed legislation which the Conservatives say will address the problem by imposing stiff fines and sentences on smugglers, and also by detaining people who are suspected of having been smuggled into the country.

The 12th Operation Nanook exercise in Hudson Bay included 650 members of the Canadian Forces, include some of Canada’s elite special forces.

The cost of the exercise, as well as one being carried out simultaneously in the Western Arctic, is estimated to be $16.5 million.

“In an uncertain world, where demand for resources is growing, where any number of civilian needs can suddenly come upon us, and where conflicts and potential conflicts remain ever present, you, our men and women in uniform, are here,

to, literally stand on guard for the True North strong and free,” Harper told the troops on board the HMCS St. John’s after the exercise concluded.

The Conservatives have set aside substantial funds for the military’s Northern capabilities.

Some $100 million is being spent to build a deep-water facility in Nanisivik, Nunavut, while a further $3.1 billion is being allocated to purchase new offshore patrol ships.

Those ships, first announced in 2006, now may not be operational until 2023.

They’ve been rolled into the government’s overall shipbuilding procurement strategy.

The prime minister acknowledged the delays Thursday while in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, but said the goals are meant to be long-term and pursued on a step-by-step basis.

“I agree it’s taking time, but we are taking the time to make sure we get this right, that we spend the right amount of money and we develop this kind of shipbuilding expertise in Canada in the long-term,” Harper said.

The Defence Department recently acknowledged it actually doesn’t believe Canada is under any kind of military threat in the Arctic. But there’s more to Arctic spending than defence, Harper said.

“I think it’s critical that we be capable of all kinds of purposes, not just direct military purposes — sovereignty purposes, search and rescue and other things — to be able to access all of our Arctic at all times of the year,” he said.

The military has been carrying out summer exercises in the North since 2005.

They are billing this year’s event as the most complex, partially because they are running two simulations at the same time.

The one taking place near Inuvik involves a rescue mission following a boat collision.

“Sadly, possible scenarios sometimes become tragic realities as we saw last year in Resolute Bay with the crash of a First Air jet,” Harper said. “It was a sad reminder that, in an uncertain world, constant preparedness is a soldier’s occupation.”